


The Golem and the Violin

by inkjunket



Category: Jewish Legend & Lore
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 1, F/F, Golems
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-13
Updated: 2014-03-13
Packaged: 2018-01-15 14:31:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1308289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkjunket/pseuds/inkjunket
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There once lived an orphan who grew to become a maid in the palace of the queen who played Elijah’s violin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Golem and the Violin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zdenka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zdenka/gifts).



> Based in the world of the story "Elijah's Violin," from the book _Elijah's Violin and Other Jewish Fairy Tales_.

There once lived an orphan who grew to become a maid in the palace of the queen who played Elijah’s violin. One day, the maid was cleaning the bedroom of the king and queen, when she found the case which held the violin. She had seen her lady the queen play it many times, but have never touched it herself. Today it seemed that she could almost hear a song coming from within the case all of its own. She pulled out the violin from the case, and, carefully placing her fingers on the violin’s neck as she had seen the queen do, drew the bow across the strings. From the violin came a sound particularly sad and soft, and lonely, unlike any tune she had heard the queen play. And then, through the window, came a golem, summoned by the violin. The maid knew it was a golem from the mark on its forehead. 

The maid finished playing the song, and played another, while the golem stood silently and watched her, its face as lonely as the tune, and so the maid played it another song. When the maid finished the third song, just as sad and lonely as the others, the golem disappeared through the window. 

The next day, when cleaning the king and queen’s chambers again, she heard a sound coming from inside the case, and again, drew out the violin and played. Again the golem came and listened to the songs, and again, the golem disappeared through the window before the maid could speak to it. 

On the third day, the maid played a song so sad and low that the golem wept tears of soft wet clay.

“Golem, why do you cry?” asked the maid.

“I have never heard such a beautiful sound,” said the golem, “and I may never again. I have protected my village from wolves and bears and demons, for I am strong and have no fear, as my master made me. The villagers care for me and I care for them. But now my master has grown old, and his magic to keep me will fade when he is gone. Who will protect my village then?”

The maid thought, and did not know what to say. She only knew that when the golem was with her, she did not feel alone, and she did not want the golem to disappear when its master died. So she played another sad song, and the golem wept further, and then disappeared through the window again. 

That night the maid went to the queen and confessed that she had played the violin and told the story of what had happened. 

The queen was not angry for she knew the ways of the violin, and instead plucked three strings from it and gave them to the maid. She said: “Build a fire in my chambers. Call the golem to you again and play it a song. As the last note plays, burn these strings.”

The maid did as she was told, and when the last note played, she flung the strings into the fire. When she turned to look at the golem, it had been transformed. In its place was a woman, tall and broad and strong, with skin the color of clay. 

“You are whole!” said the maid. “And your village will not lose its protector.” 

The golem was overjoyed, and embraced the maid in her delight. The maid raised the bow and played another song, both sad and sweet this time, and the golem disappeared through the window. 

“There is another song waiting,” said the queen, who had watched this all hidden behind her curtains. She took the violin from the maid and played a song, soft and kind, and the maid found herself traveling through the window, across many roads and forests, until finally, she arrived at the gate of the village of the golem. And there she and the golem stayed for many years, happy and loved.

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=3142z3n)


End file.
